That’s a Dumb Question …

The other day I was having coffee with a group of business acquaintances / friends when the conversation reverted yet again to their dissatisfaction with their employees / contractors. Usually I sit and listen but this time I asked:

Have you actually discussed with them what you want?

They looked at me with surprise. “Of course!” was the response.

But when I asked them to actually pinpoint an exact document or conversation or directive that had been given to the employee, they all drew a blank. “We assumed they knew what we wanted. It’s not that hard to figure out.”

Out of interest, I asked them each to write down a list of all the components of one task with which their employees were struggling. To my amusement (and to verify what I had assumed), each of these allocated tasks had at least six elements. “I didn’t think such a simple thing could be so involved!” one said.

Expectations between employers and employees/contractors can differ. I’ve found it really helpful to always take the time to outline exactly what I want done, how I want it done, when the typed report needs to be back in my server, and include any specific information the contractor may need for that particular client.

It’s a bit of an effort in the beginning, but for me, it’s well worth it in the long run. This way we consistently keep the process simple and ensure your reporting deadlines are met on time, every time, with minimal editing required.